Mark Clattenburg Slams VAR Over Agbadou’s Controversial Red Card
The Wolves’ clash with Fulham turned sour long before halftime, and the moment that changed everything came just ten minutes before the break. Emmanuel Agbadou was sent off after bringing down Fulham’s Josh King, a decision that left Wolves down to ten men — and eventually, out of the contest. But according to former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg, this was a clear case of VAR getting it wrong.
Let’s break down what happened. In the 36th minute, King poked the ball past Agbadou and was taken down, denying him what was judged to be an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. Referee John Brooks immediately reached for the red card, and VAR backed the call. On the surface, it looked like a straightforward decision — last defender, clear foul, red card. But a crucial detail went unchecked: the ball had appeared to strike King’s arm just moments before the challenge.
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Now, this is where Clattenburg, who’s officiated nearly 300 Premier League matches, stepped in with his criticism. Speaking to Molineux News, he explained that VAR should have intervened because the handball in the buildup changed everything. In his words, “Josh King handles the ball in the build-up and then proceeds to be brought down by Emmanuel Agbadou. The VAR should have recommended a review as this was a deliberate handball and not accidental.”
If referee John Brooks had been called over to check the monitor, Clattenburg believes the red card would likely have been overturned. The footage showed the ball glancing off King’s upper arm — something that, under the rules, should have stopped play and ruled out any foul that followed. Instead, Wolves found themselves punished twice: first by the foul, and then by a missed VAR correction.
The Premier League later released a statement defending the officials, saying VAR confirmed there was “no handball offence by King in the build-up,” and that Agbadou’s challenge was a “clear denial of a goal-scoring opportunity.” But fans and pundits weren’t buying it. Many pointed out that the ball clearly made contact with King’s arm, sparking renewed frustration over the inconsistency of VAR decisions.
For Wolves, this wasn’t an isolated incident. Just a few weeks earlier, they’d been at the center of another controversial VAR moment against Everton. It’s becoming a recurring theme — and for manager Vítor Pereira and his players, it’s testing their patience.
The irony, of course, is that VAR was introduced to eliminate exactly these kinds of errors. Yet here we are, still talking about missed handballs and questionable red cards. As Clattenburg put it, this was one that simply should have been reviewed. Unfortunately for Wolves, the technology that was meant to protect fairness seemed to fail them once again.
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